Tractor towing hitch



April 11, 1950 c. E. CLAPPER 21,503,935

' TRACTOR '.rowINGl HITCH Filed June 1e, 194? ATTORNEY.-

Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRACTOR. TOWING HITCH ClydeiE. Cla-nner, Kansas'V City, VMo.

Application Jlune 16, 1947, Serial No. 7545840" 4 claims. (c1. 28o- 3355). v

This invention relates tonew and usefulimprovements in` atractor towi'nghitch, andE hasparticul'ar' reference toav tractorv` hitchsuitable for drawing aY tractorL and steeringthe tractor tofollowthe towing'vehic'le;

AThe principal object of the presentv inventionisfthe provision, in combination with aO tractor having independently mounted front wheelsoperably connected through the steeringA gearof the tractor,` of atractor hitch adapted tobe pivotally attachedl to ay rigid portion of said tractor and operatively' connected with. one of saidwheels,

whereby when said hitch is pivotally moved bothy of-fsaid wheels willbeturned.

Another object is the-provision, inA combination witha tractor of the classdescribedhaving front Wheels carried bythefframe at independently acl-- justable distances from the center-line ofthetractor, of a tractor hitch adapted to bepivotallyv a member attachabletothe towingrvehicle; andv springs connecting saidmembers to cushion the force transmitted-i byl said hitch, whether' the tractor is being pulled or pushed.

Another object is the provision of a tractor hitchadapted to be mounted on or detached from the .tractor rapidly and easily;

Other objects are simplicity and economyof" construction, ruggedness, and dependability of operation.

With these objectslinv View,Y as wel1 as other objects which: will. appear during the. course of` the; specification, reference will now be. had to= thel drawing, wherein-- Eigureliisa.fragmentary-plan-view of a tractor partiallybroken'` away, showing a. tractor hitch embodying. the present .invention attached ,there-y Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation ofthe parts; shown in Figure l, with one ofthe front tractor Wheels removed.`

Fig.; 3' is an enlargedl horizontal section taken on line III-III of Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line IV-IV of Figure 1.

Like reference characters apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral i applies to a tractor having a frame l2 supportedat the forward endby. front wheels- Hij Each; of said wheels isv rotatably-mounted; on; a horizontal; stub shaft.. I6 rigidly xed to thelower, end-:of lasubstantially verticalshafti l 8, saidvertie cal shaft: beingcarried for oscillation in .ahouss ing' 2 0. Said housingkis carried rigidly by, an:

inwardly extending horizontal beam' 22"; said beam in turn being adjustably xedi to ai beam' 24 rigidly'secured1` to framel [2 of1 the tractorby bolts Z6'. Thus it will" be seen that' the'y spacing of each wheel- I4V fromthe: center` line of'w the` tractormay beva-ried by inserting bolts Ztselectively in a series off holes 22"!L provided" therefor' in-beams-22 and 242 Each of shafts t8 extends aboveits housing 25j and to its extended end is rigidly xed an in-v Wardly extending substantially` horizontal crank lever 28. A 'connectingjrod 3Iis'V pivotally corrnected at its forward end to the free'end of each crank 28 by means of a pivot pinl 3'2', andlvatlits' rearward end is pivot'a'lly connected to the" f're'e1 end of a crank 34' by-means of av pivot pin- 361 Referring to Figure l, it`will beseen that the two cranks 34 arecarried co-axially-inbearings- 38. A- beveled gear sector lt'is-rigidlyl mounted on each of said cranksin opposingrelati'on, both of said sections being engaged bya-:bevel'ledipin-J ion 42 rigidly securedl tosteeringfpcst 441. Thus: whenever steeringv post 4l@ is turned; cranks: 34 will be turned in opposite directions, and` acti` ing through connecting rods 30Y and-opposed"` crank levers 28; will cause'wheels- Wto turnin the same direction to-steer'k thelt'ractor. BeamsA 225 and 24A at each' side of the tractonareV di's-M posed: substantially atA rightv angles to alinee be tween pivot' pin 36 and the average position off shaft I8, thereby permitting the wheels to'- be moved inwardly or outwardly as2 previously de scribed Without adjusting the -lengthsroffccnnect'-- ing rods 30. l

The structure thussfary described is a1 stendardi type offtractor-construction, the=onlly purpose of? its disclosure here being to furnish a foundation. for applying. a tractor hitch suitable' for towing this 4typezof; tractor.

5i-.substantially ufshapedrame d-Ghaszitsaeane wardly' extending ends rigidlyrxed toi beams;v 241:

at'each'sidefof tractor frame; I2 by means obnltsvv 26 or other suitable means. Said; frame-extends forwardly from tractor` frame. I2' and a` vertical bearing` sleeve; 48 is weld'edior otherwise xedito" the'. inner' surface: of., frame 4G.I substantiall'y at the: mid-point thereof. Said' sleeve ser-.ves as.- a: bearing for bolt 50, saidbolt-havingg.forwardly extending horizontal` bars 52% and' 54v pivotall'y mounted thereon respectively attthe uppery and. lower endsV of. sleeve 48'; A -vertica1 men'lberfaY having, vertically spa-ced' holes 58" extending; transversely therethrough, isweldedfor otherwise fixed to bars 52 and 54 forwardly of frame46.

An elongated! U'fshapeldz; mern'l'oer; 6U;- i's.- adapted tonbe; piyotally connectedpat .its Iopen end ,-torvertiy cali bar: 5B byfv inserting.,y a1 boltl 62.y selectivelyv through any of, holeszf. Apu-l-linggbar (wie carried longitudinally"in@` U-shaped memlcuarv being: supported. adjacent. its reanwardrxdiimaf.

hole 66 formed in a stop 68 removably xed between the sides of member 60 by cap screws l0, and at its forward end in a sleeve l2 carried in a hole 'M formed in the forward end of member 6U. The forwardly extended end portion I6 of pulling bar 64 `is attened and drilled to receive a pivot pin 18 by means of which said pulling bar may be pivotally attached to a towing vehicle. Hole 'I4 is larger than end portion 'I6 to permit easy assembly of the parts. Sleeve 'l2 is provided with an outwardly extending shoulder 80 adapted to bear against the inner surface of member 60.

A pair of helical springs 82 and 84 are carried on pulling rod B4 between stop 68 and sleeve 12, said springs being separated by a block 86 rigid ly fixed to said pulling bar by pin 88. Thus a force tending to pull the tractor is transmitted from bar 64 to member S0 through spring 84, while a pushing force, as when backing, is transmitted from bar 64 to member 60 through spring 82. Since the forces exerted on the tractor are thus cushioned by said springs, both the tractor and the towing vehicle are protected from damage which would be caused by sudden starts and stops.

Bar 52 extends forwardly from vertical bar 56, and to its extended end a connecting rod section 90 is pivotally connected by means of bolt 92. Connecting rod section 94 is joined to section 92 by bolts 96. The connecting rod formed by sections 92 and 94 may be adjustably extended by inserting bolts 9B selectively in any of a series of longitudinally spaced apart holes 98 provided in said sections. The opposite end of rod section 94 is pivotally connected by a bolt to a forwardly extending crank lever 102 rigidly xed to crank lever 28 substantially at the upper end of shaft I8.

Thus, whenever a towing vehicle connected at the forward end of pulling bar 64 turns, bar 52 will be caused to pivot about bolt t. This movement is transmitted by connecting rod sections 92 and 94 and crank lever 02 to shaft i8 carrying one of wheels I4, thereby causing said wheel to turn to follow the towing Vehicle. This turning is in turn transmitted through the associated crank lever 28, connecting rod 30, crank 34, and gear sector 40 on one side of the tractor, and thence through pinion 42, gear section 40, crank 34, connecting rod 30, crank lever 28 and shaft I8 on the other side of the tractor, thus causing the other wheel I4 to turn coextensively with the first wheel.

When it is desired to change the wheel spacing as previously described, bolts 96 are removed from connecting rod sections 90 and 94 and reinserted in the proper holes 98 to provide a connecting rod of a length corresponding to the new wheel spacing.

By inserting bolt 62 selectively in any one of holes 58, member 60 and pulling bar 14 may be maintained substantially in a horizontal position regardless of the elevation of the hitch connection of the towing vehicle.

It is apparent that many minor changes in construction and arrangement of parts could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is desired, therefore, to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a tractor having two independently mounted front wheels each carried for oscillation on a vertical shaft to steer said tractor, said wheels being operably connected through the tractor steering gear, and being spaced at adjustably variable distances from the centerline of the tractor, of a tractor hitch comprising a pulling member adapted to be pivotally carried by a rigid portion of the tractor. a, lever mounted co-axially with and adapted to move with said pulling member, a lever rigidly carried by the vertical shaft carrying one of said wheels. and a rod adjustably extendable in length to correspond to said variable wheel spacing operably connecting said two last named levers whereby when said lpulling member is pivotally moved, said wheel will be turned correspondingly to steer the tractor, the other of said wheels being correspondingly turned through said tractor steering gear.

2. The combination, with a tractor having two independently mounted front wheels each carried for oscillation on a vertical shaft to steer said tractor, said wheels being operably connected through the tractor steering gear, and being spaced at adjustably variable distances from the centerline of the tractor, of a tractor hitch comprising a resiliently compressible and extendable pulling member adapted to be pivotally carried by a rigid portion of the tractor, a, lever mounted coaxially with and adapted to move with said pulling member, a lever rigidly carried by the vertical shaft carrying one of said wheels, and a rod adjustably extendable in length to correspond to said variable wheel spacing operably connecting said two last named levers whereby when said pulling member is pivotally moved, said wheel will be turned correspondingly to steer the tractor, the other of said Wheels being correspondingly turned through said tractor steering gear.

3. In a tractor hitch of the class described having a pulling member adapted to be pivotally carried by a rigid portion of said tractor, a pulling member comprising an elongated U-Shaped member adapted to be pivotally carried at its open end by said tractor, a pulling bar disposed longitudinally in said U-shaped member and carried for sliding movement in spaced apart bearing members fixed in said U-shaped members, the forwardly extended end of said bar being adapted to be connected to a towing' vehicle, a block fixed to said pulling bar intermediate said bearing members, and a spring carried on said bar getween said block and each of said bearing memers.

4. In a tractor hitch of the class described having a pulling member adapted to be pivotally carried by a rigid lportion of said tractor, a pair of vertically spaced apart horizontal bars pivotally attached to said rigid tractor portion for movement in a horizontal plane and extending forwardly therefrom, and a vertical member rigidly xed to said horizontal bars adjacent their forward ends, said vertical member having a plurality of vertically spaced apart holes formed therethrough whereby said pulling member may be pivotally connected to said vertical member for movement in a vertical plane.

CLYDE E. CLAPPER.

REFERENCES errno The following references are of record in the Iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,408,895 Lamoreaux et al Mar. 7, 1922 1,450,759 Snyder Apr. 3,1923 1,827,832 Andreasen Oct. 20, 1931 2,201,141 Kitterman May 21, 1940 2,394,207 Roth ;1 Feb. 5, 1945 

